Praise the Lord Church. I am so overwhelmed tonight by the greatness of our God. I have been grappling with the scriptures for many days and I have no better way than to use some vocabulary that the men of old used to use that seem to be less relevant today and maybe not in the too distant past but nonetheless I have been tarrying with the word and it has convicted me.
I am gripped in my heart. I cannot shake it. I have been pressed by the word of the Lord. And so tonight I am asking that you would help me preach. I am asking that you would open up your hearts and minds tonight as I share mine and what the Lord has been dealing with me about. I am torn by the words of the prophets and I’ve been stirred deeply in my spirit. I pray that the Lord will help me here tonight and the Holy Ghost will minister in a mighty way.
The spirit of prophecy is the revelation of Jesus Christ and it is with that heartbeat that I preach to you tonight from the 59th Chapter of Isaiah the prophet; The Banner of Salvation. The Banner of Salvation.
The Lord has spoken to his prophet and declares a truth to the nation of Israel.
He says “the Lord’s hand has not shortened, that it cannot save, nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear.”
Meaning God has all power and authority to deliver the nation from captivity who has found themselves oppressed again by surrounding nations. Fallen into slavery from Babylon, they are crying out for deliverance from this curse and torment yet the prophet declares to them God can absolutely do it BUT. The Prophet begins to share with Israel how their sins have separated them from God. Their denial of God’s way has stayed His hand and removed His favor from their lives.
The picture painted is not a pretty one. A nation completely depraived of the image of God. No one could look upon them and say they serve the Lord. That these were God’s chosen people. The very thoughts in their minds are of evil and wickedness the Bible likens them to snake eggs and spiders’ webs that lie in wait until they bear the fruit of what started as just an impure thought. It was just a thought. One that stayed there far longer than it should have and before you know it the viper was born and bit them or the web had been weaved and trapped them. This nation's wickedness has confounded their lives into not even being able to see their own mistakes. The prophet is proclaiming these things to them.
They have perverted the things of God into their own plans and purposes in their own ways. The Bible says there is no judgement in their goings or they have made crooked or perverted their paths and there is no peace among them.
Truth has become a stumbling block to all. Meaning that whenever truth is declared it is so foreign, so contrary to the culture, that people are plagued by the thought of it and hate it. Later in the chapter it says that all of those who would repent or love truth are regarded as enemies. They are marked as those who should be destroyed, robbed of their livelihood and punished for such an offense. This hatred and violent acts toward those who would purpose truth in their hearts.
This is where I am gripped and convicted in my heart. The preacher in Ecclesiastes says that there is nothing new under the sun and how quickly I compare the state of our world today, yes even in Christian culture in America and the west, to the children of Israel. The war against truth if you will and the birthing of wickedness at every corner. Every wicked and evil thought of man not submitted to God’s way but acted upon in time hatching the venomous viper that would bite and poison its own birth-giver. This was the nature of a viper anyway once born to kill and eat the very thing that gave birth to it. Oh, how I am grieved in my spirit. How wickedness destroys the very actors of it.
I begin to think of even my own life and how often the thoughts of my own mind are focused on my own pleasure and what I want and far from God’s purpose. No, not wicked or evil but concerned with my own abilities, struggles, and whatever else may be.
And I think about the greatness of our God and his holiness and I am torn. Barely to utter the words Woe is me. I am undone before you Lord. I cannot even bear to stand in your presence. For I am of unclean lips amongst a people of unclean lips.
The end of this prophet's conviction and the confession of the nation regarding their own sin is silenced by the breath of God.
The Lord steps in to respond and speak to this perverse people. He astonishes at the lack of an intercessor like Moses that would stand in the gap and pray salvation and restitution for the people for the name sake of God. See, intercession is two-fold: it prays that the Lost would be saved so that the ultimate purpose and glory of God can be established. It is in perfect alignment with God’s will and the defense and salvation of the people. I bear in in my bones tonight, and I feel that burden of repentance and intercession for all men.
God’s marvel at the lack of intercessors does not stop Him however.
He declares, although the nation is undeserving and God is far from them because of their willful sin, God says He will work in His righteousness to bring salvation for the people. God will do the interceding for us. He will raise up a redeemer. His armor will be that of vengeance to take back what the enemy has stolen. The armor of God, a breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation first worn by the Redeemer of Israel as the prophet would call him.
Isaiah 59:20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from Jacob,” Says the Lord.
This redeemer is the salvation that God will bring for His own name sake and to accomplish His purpose and establish His glory. As the eternal intercessor since no man was able to fill this role. The prophet declares this is how it shall be done:
Isaiah 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
This standard or banner if you will is raised up high and at the very sight of this banner the enemy flees in terror. It denotes victory has already been one. A claiming of the territory. It is the very salvation that has been hoped for among the nations.
And can I tell you tonight what is written on that banner. It is the NAME OF THE LORD WHICH IS FEARED FROM THE WEST TO THE EAST. For neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. The writing on that banner is the name of Jesus. It is the Banner of Salvation that causes the enemy to flee.
He is our salvation and the very name that brings victory. And His glory are the many who wear that banner with pride.
For when you were baptized into Christ you put on Christ. You’ve got the banner of the blood of the lamb applied to your life. The enemy looks at you and sees the banner of THE NAME OF THE LORD. Come on somebody, I wish you would believe what I am preaching here tonight.
The very hope of our salvation has marked you with the banner of His name. The enemy has to flee, darkness cannot stand around you. No evil thing can harm you. Come on somebody, I am talking about Jesus. The Lord of the Hosts, the armies, of heaven who has all power and authority and all things have been placed under His feet.
If you don’t believe me, believe the prophet. Here is God’s final promise through the man of God.
Isaiah 59:21 “As for me” says the Lord “this is My Covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My Words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time forevermore.”
This promise of salvation never stopped being preached and it will never stop being preached. It is contained in the very pages of this book that will not pass away for all eternity. Come on somebody, this message is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.
We have the privilege of knowing His name. And it is Jesus.
So where sin abounds let me declare Jesus' doth much more abound. I’ve got a burden of repentance and intercession tonight.
Lord, just as you are the eternal intercessor for your purpose so I want to align myself with you and stand in the gap tonight.
Let me raise your banner high and declare the victory of the Lord, the name of Jesus, over my life, over my wife and my kids, over my family, over my community, over every addict, over every broken heart and home, over everyone depressed and anxious, over everyone abused, over everyone confused and plagued in their mind over sexuality and their identity, over every politician, over ever leader, over all creation. We want to see your Kingdom come and your will done on earth as it is in Heaven. And your gospel preached to all the world so that souls might be saved. So that souls might be saved. So that souls might be saved.
Come on somebody if you believe it I wonder if you could just let out your prayers tonight. If you could intercede, if you would repent, if you feel like me and just cry out woe is me I am undone at the glory and power and majesty of your holy presence God. We need you tonight Jesus. Come on Church let's lift up the banner of Salvation and shout JESUS.
Let's build together.